The Federal Government has stated its commitment to youth empowerment and economic inclusion, as preparations intensify for the full implementation of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) in 2026.
The government gave the commitment at YEIDEP’s end-of-year meeting in Lagos, which brought together key financial partners, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and service vendors supporting the programme.
Kennedy Iyere, the convener of YEIDEP, which commenced in 2024, said the programme has completed its planning and system-development phase and is now positioned for large-scale rollout aimed at delivering measurable outcomes for young Nigerians.
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According to him, YEIDEP, implemented by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in collaboration with the Youths Off The Street Initiative (YOTSI), focuses on youth economic empowerment and de-radicalisation through targeted interventions aimed at addressing unemployment and social vulnerability.
Presenting the progress report, Iyere, who is also YEIDEP Coordinator-General, highlighted milestones recorded by the programme in 2025, including expanded partnerships, improved funding coordination, and strengthened implementation structures.
He said the engagement provided an opportunity to account for progress made, review challenges encountered, and align stakeholders on priorities for the coming year.
Ayodele Olawande, minister of Youth Development, who was the chief at the event, commended partners for their support and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to youth-focused economic and social interventions.
Olawande, represented by his chief of staff, Muhammed Abdullahi, noted that sustained collaboration with the private sector and development partners was critical to achieving long-term impact.
He added that the past year had been deliberately devoted to planning, stakeholder coordination, and beneficiary onboarding, noting that effective preparation was critical to successful execution.
Olawande disclosed that YEIDEP would be implemented in phases, beginning with an initial target of 20 million beneficiaries. Of this number, he said about 12 million young Nigerians have already been registered and onboarded, with verified account details.
He added that the remaining eight million beneficiaries would be onboarded within the first quarter of 2026, completing the first phase, while preparations for a second phase would commence around mid-year.
The minister explained that the programme is designed to support youth participation across the agricultural value chain, stressing that beneficiaries would not be limited to primary farming activities.
The initiative, he said, would enable young people to engage in farming, marketing, processing, and trading of agricultural products, depending on their interests and capacities, as part of efforts to strengthen food systems and create sustainable livelihoods.
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Olawande further clarified that the financial support to beneficiaries would be provided as grants rather than loans, with a minimum of N500,000 earmarked as start-up capital for each participant.
He emphasised that the funds are intended to help young Nigerians establish viable agri-based enterprises and are not subject to repayment, describing the approach as a strategic investment in youth productivity rather than a welfare scheme.
“2026 implementation phase is expected to mark a transition from planning to impact delivery, with the programme positioned to contribute to job creation, youth entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic growth.”
Augusta Warrens, a director at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, underscored the importance of transparency, accountability and effective financial management in the execution of youth programmes.
Warrens expressed gratitude to stakeholders, financial partners, and collaborators for their support in empowering Nigerian youth to reduce hunger, insecurity, and unemployment through food production and job creation.
She stated that the program has brought on board a significant number of Nigerian youth, with the aim of creating a conglomerate in 10 years.
Warrens who is also the chairperson of the YEIDEP finance committee, noted that the program’s next level involves implementing the 2026 Action Plan, leveraging the structures and processes established.
According to her, the ministry is gearing up for a donors drive to fund initiatives aimed at ensuring Nigerian youths are gainfully employed and are creating jobs.
On his part, the special advisor to the Kano State governor on youth and sport development, Sani Musa Denja, emphasised that the program’s goal is to take youths out of drugs and other vices, and make them rely on themselves.
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He noted that some banks have already captured 300,000, over a million, 1.5 million, and almost half a million (500,000) youths, and the next target is to empower them through these banks.
According to him, the first phase of the empowerment is expected to be completed by February 2026, with training and empowerment programs set to commence.
Denja expressed optimism about the program’s progress, stating that everything is coming in stages, and the focus is now on empowering the youths through the banks that have already captured them.
